coobybook Chapter 205 Uncle Tian, who knew exactly what was going on
Chapter 205 Uncle Tian, who knew exactly what was going on
"What...what's going on?"
Xingqiu took out two spiced pastries from his pocket, which he hadn't had a chance to eat yet.
Chongyun was already standing on the stage, singing along with Xinyan's rhythm.
Xin Yan never imagined that one day she would be able to sing her favorite songs to her heart's content without any interference.
Not to mention, you can find someone who's compatible to sing with.
"Although some of the lyrics don't rhyme quite well, these lyrics that express your true feelings, are they really from the bottom of your heart? They're so rock and roll!"
Xin Yan loudly praised the ice-blue-haired boy singing and dancing beside her, and then joined him in singing enthusiastically once again.
The head steward walked up to his master and asked, "The funeral parlor said they only hired one singer, but now these two...?"
The old man gently wiped away the tears on his face, looked at his mother's smiling portrait in front of the coffin, and said softly, "Mother should have no regrets now, right?"
The old steward nodded, "The old mistress must be very happy to see such a lively scene, so I will prepare two gifts of thanks."
"In addition, Tian Shu Xing has also arrived, accompanied by Miss Hui Xin..."
Before the old steward could finish speaking, the master asked in surprise, "Isn't Uncle Tian unwell? Why has he come in person? Come with me to greet him."
Xu Ning, who was standing not far away, heard the conversation between the two.
Upon learning that Uncle Tian had come to pay his respects in person, it seems that this family is probably not an ordinary wealthy family in Liyue.
However, judging from what that old man said, it seems that Uncle Tian is sick. Why didn't Ningguang mention it?
Although Xu Ning was a little worried and wanted to go see him, she thought that the current occasion was not appropriate, so she decided to wait until things were over before going to see Uncle Tian.
Seeing Xingqiu rummaging through something under the tree, Xu Ning strolled over, drinking his wine.
"What's that thing in your hand?"
Xingqiu was so frightened that he hid, but when he saw that it was Xu Ning, he relaxed and showed him what he was holding.
"I had someone specially make these mint shortbreads. They smell refreshing and invigorating, but inside each of the eight corners is a small ball of Jueyun chili powder. Even if you break them apart or cut them open, you're guaranteed not to notice the secret..."
Xu Ning sighed and flicked Xingqiu's head. "Does Xiangling know how much you care about Chongyun?"
Xingqiu scratched his head and chuckled, "Xiangling only cares about the ingredients and won't play with Chongyun with me. But Brother Xu, how do you know Chongyun will definitely go on stage?"
Xu Ning pointed to Xin Yan on the stage and explained, "Don't be fooled by Chong Yun's appearance as ice; there's always a fire burning inside. And Xin Yan's rock music is best at igniting that fire in people's hearts."
Xu Ning and Xing Qiu watched the performance with great interest for a while.
Seeing that the master of the house was already preparing to send Uncle Tian off, Xu Ning told Xing Qiu to apologize to Xin Yan on her behalf, saying that he would personally treat him to a meal to make amends in the future, and then went out to catch up with Uncle Tian.
"Uncle Tian!"
Xu Ning went out and quickly walked to Uncle Tian's side, greeting the girl beside him again: "Hello, Miss Huixin."
Huixin nodded demurely and bowed, while Uncle Tian laughed and said, "You left Liyue without a word and ran away, and now you've come back without a word. If Bu Yun hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known you were back."
Xu Ning smiled and apologized.
Uncle Tian's spirits were indeed somewhat low, but his words and emotions seemed no different from before.
"I heard you're not feeling well?"
Uncle Tian smiled and waved his hand, saying, "I'm not feeling unwell, but I've been feeling a bit tired lately. Sigh, maybe I really am getting old."
Xu Ning shook his head and smiled, "Uncle Tian, the younger generation hasn't grown up yet, and we're all relying on you to hold the fort. You can't keep talking like you're retiring."
"Have you seen Bubulu?" This question was directed at Huixin.
Before Huixin could speak, Uncle Tian shook his head.
"Hey, I'm not sick, why bother Doctor Bai? I'll be fine after a couple of days of sleep. You're finally back just in time, so I can finally relax and take a few days off to go fishing. Speaking of fishing, it reminds me of the fish soup that Zhiyi makes. I wonder where he's been these past few days."
Xu Ning never expected to hear the name "Zhiyi" from Uncle Tian's mouth.
It seems like I haven't seen him for several years. I remember Uncle Tian saying a long time ago that he had gone out to travel and study.
"Is Zhiyi back? I wonder if his fishing skills have improved? We can have another go when we have time," Xu Ning asked Uncle Tian with a smile.
Uncle Tian chuckled and said, "Your fishing skills have improved a bit, but they're probably still not as good as yours. However, you do make a great fish soup. You should definitely try it if you happen to be here."
Xu Ning's heart skipped a beat, feeling that Uncle Tian's words were somewhat meaningful.
I walked and chatted with Uncle Tian all the way, and then took him home.
Xu Ning also pondered these words carefully throughout the journey.
"I was worried about him, but I didn't expect to be the one giving advice first."
Xu Ning shook his head and smiled as he returned directly to Qunyu Pavilion. Ning Guang hadn't rested yet and was sitting upright in the study, looking at a scroll of testimony.
"Did you extract any useful information?"
Xu Ning looked at the two words "Jian Qiu" written on the file, walked over and sat down next to Ning Guang, mixed the wine in the gourd into a thousand winds, and fed Ning Guang a sip.
"Mmm~ Delicious! It feels like all my fatigue has been blown away by the breeze. Looks like you've gained quite a bit in Mondstadt."
Hearing Ningguang's words, Xu Ning leaned close to her ear and said with a smile, "There's another kind called Immortal Brew, but I can't let you drink it for now, otherwise tonight will be less romantic... Ouch!"
Ningguang withdrew her hand from Xu Ning's waist, blushing and scolding, "Let's take care of the important matter first."
Xu Ning glanced at the dossier in Ning Guang's hand and smiled, "There probably won't be any results. If I were Jian Qiu, I would never admit to murder, let alone colluding with outsiders."
"As long as you don't have any irrefutable evidence, and that love-struck Hua Chu can testify for me and share the blame with me, I still have a sliver of a chance. But if I confess, there will be no room for maneuver, and I'll be dead."
Ningguang nodded seriously and said, "I really didn't expect to be able to pry any useful information out of him. The only pity is that the identity of the innocent Hua Chu substitute who died has not yet been found. But at least this opportunity has boosted De'an Gong's morale and allowed his Minghua Trading Company to hold out for a few more days under the attack of the Northern Bank."
Xu Ning nodded, sensing that Ningguang already had a series of counterattack plans against the Winter Fools, which was why she said "hold out for a while".
Xu Ning didn't ask Ningguang any further questions, and instead told her in detail about his meeting with Uncle Tian that day.
"Do you know who I thought of first when I heard about Jianqiu's background? That's right, it was Zhiyi."
"Same impoverished family background, same intelligence and eagerness to learn, same methods of leveraging resources."
"Now it seems that Uncle Tian is aware of the situation. I think I should go and meet this fellow angler I met once before."